Ask Me Out Already?
by Gemmaaa.x
Summary: James Potter - two words that normally had Lily Evans gritting her teeth. That's the way it has always been and, she had previously thought, always would be. But then again that was before a certain mischievous, messy-black haired, marauder had...well...changed.


Walking through the dark, omniscient corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on her final round for the night, Lily Evans couldn't help but let her mind drift off to a certain mischievous, messy-black haired, marauder. James Potter - two words that normally had the head girl gritting her teeth. That's the way it has always been and, she had previously thought, always would be. But then again that was before a certain mischievous, messy-black haired, marauder had...well...changed.

What made her come to the conclusion that Potter had changed you may ask? Well this is what the troubled Head Girl had been debating in her thoughts for most of the two hours that she had been patrolling the quiet corridors of the castle. The prefects, the Head Boy and the Head Girl were all assigned nights in which they had to patrol the castle for two hours after curfew. Lily didn't mind doing this - it gave her time to think. The only problem was that lately Potter was _all_ that she could think about.

When Lily first met Potter she had instantly disliked him. He had been rude and had mocked her and Sev (her best friend at the time). She was less than impressed when she ended up in the same house as him. And even more annoyed when he suddenly wouldn't seem to leave her alone - always tugging her hair, asking her out, throwing potion ingredients at her, asking her out, tripping her and Sev in the corridor and asking her out were just a few of the things he did to piss her off on a regular basis.

Just in case you didn't quite catch that he use to ask Lily out a lot then here you go - Potter use to ask Lily out ALL THE BLOODY TIME. With every year passing he became more persistent and irritating. She couldn't understand why he bothered to waste his time as she had made it _very _clear that she would never even consider going out with him. On more than one occasion she had hexed him and made him look silly in front of a crowd of eager spectators but was he discouraged? No, he wasn't.

It had crossed Lily's mind that he was probably only asking her out to annoy her or to make her look like a fool if she were to say yes and it turned out he had just been taking the piss. This thought left her head after she started to see the look of hurt that flashed across his handsome face from fourth year onwards. Around the same time he stopped tugging her hair and throwing things at her. He even stopped tripping her in the corridors. He had still annoyed the hell out of her however as he had still cursed people (Slytherins) for no reason and he had still asked her out _constantly_. The main thing he did that boiled her blood at that time though, was the fact that him and Black were always tormenting her ex-best friend Severus Snape.

Severus Snape. That was another reason why Lily had despised Potter. He and his little sidekick had been partly to blame for Sev calling her _that _awful name. She had cried herself to sleep that night. She knew it was Sev's fault mainly but she personally blamed Potter and Black. If they hadn't been mistreating him then he wouldn't have let his anger get the better of him. She had been devastated and had felt truly betrayed. She would never forget that incident - it was proof that he agreed with what his sick little _friends - _Mulciber and Avery - thought.

Speaking of friends, Potter's little band of merry-men didn't exactly do much to decrease her dislike of their mate. Black was a man-slut and was always cursing people (once again Slytherins) right by Potter's side and Pettigrew was a stupid little follower, kind of like a sheep, always trailing after Potter and Black with adoration in his eyes, cheering and clapping whenever they performed a hex on anyone. To be fair Lily couldn't say anything bad about Remus Lupin. Her and Remus got along well and were fellow prefects for two years running. They often did homework together and she knew what he was and fully accepted him - wolf and all.

When Lily had gotten her final Hogwarts letter telling her the usual information and that she was the new Head Girl, she had been ecstatic. Completely overjoyed. That was until she had went to the Prefects carriage to get ready for the Prefects meeting with the Head Boy (who she had thought would have been Remus) and came face-to-face with Potter. She had almost collapsed at first then she had asked if it was some kind of joke. Potter had shaken his head and then Lily had burst into laughter. She laughed for a good minute before seeing the saddened look on his face. She had felt quite embarrassed after that. They had then went over the notes left for them rather awkwardly. When the last of the Prefects went out after the meeting Potter had followed after them sending Lily a polite nod goodbye and Lily had sat there looking rather dumbstruck. She had been expecting him to ask her out like he always did (she had spent most of last night planning some decent comebacks) but he hadn't.

It was at that moment in time that Lily Evans had started to become interested in Potter. She realised how nice his smile is and how happy his laugh made her feel. She saw how good he was in class and how he frowned when he couldn't perform a spell right but then his face would change into a grin when he finally got it. She also couldn't help but notice how he didn't seem to be cursing anyone for no reason anymore and how the 'Marauders' pranks had calmed down and had became more amusing to her. Potter also took his Head duties seriously and never missed a meeting or a patrol. Fair enough it had only been two weeks into term but it was still a long time for him to be... behaving in her eyes.

The only thing surrounding Potter that had bothered her lately was the fact that he hadn't asked her out at all. Two whole weeks and he hadn't asked her out once. She had at first felt relieved at this but the relief had soon turned to confusion and the confusion had then morphed into hurt. Had she changed? Had he moved on? Had he indeed been taking the piss all this time? Did he fancy someone else? She got a little jealous at this thought.

He had spoken to her a few times, asked her how she was, how had she found the homework - normal, mature conversation that she would expect from anyone else, just not him.

Even Potter had to grow up at some point she had concluded but she deeply _wished_ that he would ask her out, just one more time, for she had decided (around two weeks ago to be exact) that she would most defiantly say yes.

Lily Evans had never really felt the need to wish for anything. Maybe a few times she had wished Petunia didn't hate her and that Sev hadn't called her a mudblood but most of the time Lily's bold personality had saved her the trouble of having to wish for things.

She let out a frustrated sigh and quickened her pace. She had done enough patrolling for one night.

Just as she rounded the fourth floor corridor corner she smacked into something. Or should she say some_one_. This particular someone was the mischievous, messy-black haired, marauder that had been running through her mind all night. Maybe she should ask him if his legs were tired? No, that's the kind of cheesy chat-up line James or Sirius would use.

Wait a minute! James and Sirius, since when did she mentally call Potter and Black by their first names. Oh she really was losing her marbles.

She suddenly remembered where she was and looked up into the lovely hazel eyes of the one and only James Potter and blushed. Shit. She had forgotten it was his night for patrolling as well.

Smiling as he offered her his hand to pull her up off the ground, Lily couldn't help but think how gorgeous he looked standing their in the moonlit corridor.

"Sorry, I didn't expect anyone to be coming round the corner," James said quietly, running his hands through his hair.

Shit - reply, what to reply?

"It's OK..." She managed to mumble. Why couldn't she have said something charming, or at least funny! Something that would make him ask her out!

"Umm...yeah," he grinned, "finished for the night?"

"Yeah, you?" Oh well some conversation was better than no conversation she reasoned.

"Yes, heading back to the common room?" He asked with a sly smile on his face.

"Where else would I be going?" She replied with a little laugh. Hmm... she had managed to keep her cool so far.

"I know a shortcut, fancy joining me?" He barely had the words out of his pretty little mouth and her mind was already screaming the answer.

YES YES YES

"I guess I could," She replied, proud that her response hadn't been_ too _quick.

She set off back the way she had came from with Potter beside her. They reached a portrait of a old looking wizard that Lily had never really paid much attention to, James (she decided she liked calling Potter James in her head) carefully pushed the painting backwards and motioned for her to go through. It was a very narrow path and once he squeezed in behind her, she couldn't help the shiver that ran up her back.

"Keep going straight ahead," James softly spoke from behind her.

She did as her said and kept going until they reached what seemed to be the back of another portrait. James reached over her and pulled it back towards them. Both of them had to shuffle back until the painting was fully open and they could exit through its hole.

"When your ready," James whispered. Her breath caught in her throat as she realised how close he was to her. She stepped out of the passage and was surprised to find her self a set of stairs away from the Fat Lady.

They climbed up the stairs side by side and when they reached the guardian of the Gryffindor common room, James said the password and then let her enter first.

How charming.

The fat lady swung softly shut behind him as he entered the common room. He made his way over to the stairs and stopped at the bottom, turning around to say a quick "night".

It was at this moment Lily decided she was going to get Potter to ask her out if it was the last thing she did.

"Wait! Potter?" Yes she called him James in her head but she wasn't going to say it aloud yet - he would think she had gone crazy!

"Yeah..?" He replied with a cute look of confusion on his face.

Ah well, that bold personality might save her the trouble of another wish or it may make her look like a complete fool. She decided she would take her chances.

"Ask me out already?" She answered with a look of pure impatience on her freckled face.

Oh well, the worst he can say is no, right? Wrong - she proved that herself with her constant...should we say colourful..rejections aimed at James himself. Shit! What if he said he'd rather go out with the giant squid! She would probably literally die of humiliation.

"Hogsmeade this Saturday then Evans?" She looked up at his face and couldn't help the grin that formed on her lips as a response to his dazzling smile.

"Sounds good," She replied.

"Night then," He shot back with a cheeky wink.

Standing there in the middle of the common room she couldn't help but thank Godric for her boldness.

Now, what to wear on Saturday?


End file.
